Measuring stick coupler



Oct 28V,l 1947. B. B. DE MASTERS 2,429,871

MEASURING STICK coUPLER vy "Filed Feb. 2, 1945 F ,BY Pb Y.

A TTU/@NEX Patented Oct. 28, 1947 MEASURING STICK COUPLER Ben B. DeMasters, Kansas City, Mo., by decree of distribution, assigner toJosephine May De Masters Application February 2, 1945, Serial No.575,882

4 1 Claim. .1

This invention relates to an article of manufacture in the character ofa coupler for strip material, and particularly such an instrument foruse in holding measuring stick sections in operative position forapplication to work of various and sundry types.

One of the important aims of this invention is to provide a measuringstick coupler that may be formed of a unitary piece of sheet material tofrictionally engage a number of measuring stick sections and hold themin place while dimensions are being determined.

This invention has for a still further object to provide an article ofmanufacture in the nature of a measuring stick coupler which is cheap tomanufacture; may be given without cost to customers of paint and wallpaper stores with the advertising measuringsticks which are nowconventionally presented gratuitously; and that is capable of holding anumber of measuring stick sections in longitudinal alignment or withsome of the sections at right angles to others.

Further aims of the invention will appear during the course of thefollowing specification, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a measuring stick coupler made inaccordance with the present invention and showing the same in place tohold.

two measuring stick sections in longitudinal alignment.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the assembly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the coupler illustrating its ability tohold measuring stick sections in perpendicular relation to each other.

Fig, 5 is a plan View of the blank from which the coupler is produced.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the coupler per se, entirely removedfrom association with the measuring stick sections; and

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional View taken on line VII-VII of Fig. 2.

It has long been the practice of paint and wall paper companies topresent its customers with yard sticks upon which certain advertisingmaterial is printed, and the trade now habituallyT looks forward toreceiving such measuring sticks and using the same in computing roomsize and dimensions of other work. It is with such measuring devices orso-called yard sticks that the coupler embodying this invention, isdesigned for use.

The coupler per se is preferably made of a single sheet of material,which in blank form appears as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The blank is broadly designated by the numeral I and comprises a centralparallel portion I2, along each longitudinal side whereof are lines ofbend I6, I8, 20 and 22.

After the blank has been cut from stock, it is slit along lines 24 and25 to segregate ears 28, walls 30, ears 32 and walls 34.

- When ears 28 are disposed to overlie plate-like member I2, as shown inFig. 6, these ears and walls 30 frictionally embrace section 36 of ameasuring stick.

Ears 32 are bent into spaced relation with that face of plate I2opposite to the face thereof whereover ears 23 are disposed. In otherWords, ears 28 are spaced to one side of plate I2, while ears 32 arespaced to the opposite side thereof.

The disposition of ears 28 is on a medial transverse line of plate I2and ears 32 are at a point adjacent to the ends of plate I2.

The length of walls 39 or the distance between the proximal ends ofwalls 34, is substantially the same as the width of the measuring sticksections 36.

Ears 32 have extensions 38 to overlie one of the sections 36 when thesaid section is moved to the position shown in Fig. 4. Thus, the couplermay be used to hold two sections 36 at right angles to each other foruse as a square or other tool in the handling of work.

The material from which the coupler is made is resilient enough to allowthe insertion and removal of the measuring stick sections 35, andbecause of the size, disposition and relation of ears 28, 32 and plateI2 ,the relatively simple coupler may be employed to hold measuringstick sections 3S in a number of convenient working positions.

Al-Iaving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A coupler for measuring stick sections, comprising a plate; a pair ofears on the plate inter- :mediate the ends thereof and overhanging oneface thereof in spaced relation to the one face for slidably receiving asection of almeasuring stick 3 between the ears and the said one face ofthe plate; a plurality of ears on the plate and overhangngthe other facethereof in spaced relation to the other face, said plurality of earsbeing arranged in pairs with a pair at each end of the plate forslidably receiving another section of the measuring stick between theears of each pair and the said other face, the distance between the earsof each pair being substantially the same as face of the plate, thedistance between the proximal inner edges of the ears of the lastmentioned pairs at the point of merger thereof with the extensions beingsubstantially the same as the 5 said distance between the ears of eachpair.

BEN B. DE MASTERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the the widthof the sections embraced thereby; and 10 fue of this patent;

extensions on each of the plurality of ears at the center of the plateto frictionally engage a section of a measuring stick when a section ismoved between the pairs of ears overhanging the said other UNITED STATESPATENTS Number

